Fruit drier



Nov. 20, 1923.

J. B. RABY, JR

FRUIT DRIER Filed May 6-, 1921 2 Sheets-Sheet 1' A TTOR/VEYS Nov. 2O 1923.

- 474,687 J. B. RABY, JR

FRUIT DRIER Filed May 6, 1921 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 WITNESSES J l/Vl/ENTOR ATTORNEYS Patented Nov. 20, 1923.

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I JAMES BUCHANAN BABY, an, or YORK, r'snN'sYLvsivIAI i I I FRUIT Application filed May G,

. of York, in' the county of York and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Fruit "Driers,

of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in driers and has references more particularly to fruit and vegetable driers intended. for domestic use,-and an object of the invention is to provide a light and strong, and comparatively inexpensive drier adapted foruse on ordinary oil, gas, or cook-stoves, or o-ther suitable heaters.

lVith this and other objects in view my in.-'

vention consists in certain novel features of" construction, arrangement and combination of parts as will be hereinafter fullv set forth and pointed out in the claims, reference being had to the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof, and in which' Figure 1 is a perspective view showing the drier as in use.

Figure 2 is a vertical section through same. 7 i

Figure 3 is a sectional plan view ofthe front end thereof,

Figure 4 is a fragmentary detail perspec tive view showing a preliminary step in assembling the front and rear. posts, tray tracks or supports, and side-braces.

Figure 5 is a-simila-r view showing completion of this operation.

Figure '6 is a sectional view showing another method of applying traytracks to side frames. y 1

The drier as an entirety comprisesa cas ing composed of a pair of side frames including hollow front and 'rearposts connected by side tracks, a top piece and a diagonal brace a back cross bra ce,fia top or squaring-brace, a front tie-piece, and a plu-' rality of open work or reticulatedtrays re-f movably mounted on the said tracks.

Referring more specifically tothe drawing, the side frames, of Which there are two, are composed of the front and rear trlangu lar hollow posts A which are shown as par-- tially formed in Figure 4 and are made from a strip of galvanized metal bent to form the inner wall A and the front walls a and the DRIER.

1921. Serial N5. 467,485;

inner walls A are riveted the top crossbars C, said tracks being L-shaped.

The back cross brace; consists of two pieces wide and hemmed on each edge and held 'tjo D-of galvanized metal each about OIieillCli gether atthe center loosely by arivet Ev;

each piece D has a hole cl punched at each l V f 1 7 1 682? 7 Arr-1 nae-E.

'diagonal outside wallsa which are bentlat I i an acute angle 'rearwardly and have" hemmed edges a bearing-against the wall'A; to the {55 end. for receiving the rivets for fastening this brace to the two rear posts of theframe.

The top or squaring brace consists of a similar cross brace, comprising ;the.s,trips F riveted, together rigidly at their center f and also near each end of a front andrearhcross bar G having a flange 9 hemmed on one edge and bent at right angles, the flange having near eachend 1 holes punched for receiving rivets for fastening-the pieces to the'top'sof the posts. 1 1 q s At the front of the casing I provide a front tie-piece H to which a name plate may be attached, said tie piece being made of galvanized metal of suitable gage, andabout two inches wide, hemmed over oneachfedge to strengthen same, the tie piece being 'se-j,

cured to the front. corner posts A by rivets passed through holes near each..end the same.

Sl-de braces per and lower ends to the front. and rear posts respectively'the ends being riveted to r 1' are alsoxprovided," said, braces consisting-of strips of metal hemmed over-at each edge and secured at theirupi are.

guided and supported areshown ma de ofangle iron with the horizontal-flanges m jecting inwardly and these tracks are riveted at thelr front and rear ends-tothefrontand over, and a bottom horizontal inwardly projecting' flange k the strip-isbent to vrectans gular shape the ends over lapping at the center of therear and riveted together at In? rear, posts, to which they aresecured before a central supporting bar or hemmed strip L extends lengthwise of the tray from front to rear the ends being .supported on and riveted to the horizontal flange and constituting supports for the bottom of the tray, the bottom itself being made of wire :mesh and designated by the reference character hi; the strip L supports the mesh bottom M andprevents it from sagging in the center, but in addition to this function it gives rigidity to the tray maintaining the strain of the pull and push on the tray when withdrawing it orpushing into the drier by the knob or pull The mesh bottom M of the tray rests loosely at its sides and ends on the inturned flanges 7c of the vertical walls of the tray, andis ren'iovably held in the tray by metal clips LT which are passed through the mesh and bent around the median bar L. It is preferable to have these mesh bottoms readily removable so as tomake it easier to clean the trays, and also to be able to substitute bottoms of proper or desired mesh adapted for the particular fruit or egetable to be dried.

As the front tie bar is rigidly connected to the front posts through its entire vertical w dth, it acts as a brace as well as a tie piece, and also forms a guide for sta-rt-' ing a tray into the frame.

' To form this drier from the various elements it is necessary to have one front right-hand and one front left-hand post, also one rear right-hand and one rear lefthand post.

As the posts are made of strips of metal of the same size and Shape and have the nine holes near one edge of each strip for receiving the rivets for fastening the tray tracks J and top pieces to the partially fOlHllGill 1 formed on any desired number-at the san'ie time 1 over the same terms.

As the next row of holes to he pui'iched are placed (tlillerently for front and rea posts, but similarly for both front po. I and also similarly for both rear posts, the

entire lot after being punched for the tracks v and top pieces as above described, are divided into two equal lots and one of these lots are then punched over form for front.

posts, that is, with one hole near the top for receiving the rivet for fastening the top or squaring brace, and with twoholes near the bottom for receiving the rivets for fastening the front tie pieces.

The other half or lot, .are punched over a form for rear posts, that is, two holes near the top; one for receiving the rivet for fasten-ing the top or squaring brace, the :other for one of the upper arms ofthe back cross race, and with one hole near the bottom for the rivet of one of the lower arms of the back cross brace. v 7

After the strips of metal are thus cut out and punched, the next step is to hem the edges which are to be bent down to the sides of the frame in the final operation of forming the posts into triangular shape. In performing this hemmin operation it is necessary to bear in mind that this final bend will have to be made to the left for the front right-hand and rear left-hand posts, and to the right for the front lefthand and rear right-hand posts, and that the hemmed side of theedge must lie against the side of the frame; othemvisc, one purpose of the hem, n.amel thatof giving a smooth 211M. iinished appearance would be lost. I

To prepare these strips cut out and punched as above described for this final bend, as well as for the initial bend or flange to whichthe tracks and top pieces are riveted with as little handling as possible, one half of them are hemmed in one direction and the other half in the opposite direction; that is :to say, one half of them are put into the break or bender with the end which is to he the top of the post to the operators right hand and the other half with the end which is to be the top of the post, to the operators left hand.

This prepares all of :the strips for the initial break or bend for forming the flange to which the tracks and top pieces are riveted. This bend is made by inserting the unhemmed edge into the break. and bending to a right angle in the direction of the lap of the hem, with the result that one half of the thus partially formed posts will have this flange turning to the right for the left-hand front, and right-hand rear posts, and the other half with the flange turning to the left for the righthand front and the left-hand rear posts.

The eight tracks, the top-piece and onal side braces are now riveted to the int tial flanges of each pair of front and rear posts, which completes the side of 't-l-ieframe, ready to be assembled with the other parts of the frame. and after all the parts ofythe frame are thus assembled, the final breaks or bends are made to form the posts into triapgular shape i-neross sect-ion.

To put the frame together take two sides made up as hereinbefore described andu'ivet the back cross-brace to the rear posts through the holes punched for that pur pose in the wider flanges thereof near the top and bottom. Then slip the flanges of the top or squaring-brace down overthe tops of the front and rear posts and fasten them with rivets through the holes punched parallel with each other and the brace being made rigid in all its parts, and the backcross brace being free to move on its center pivot or rivet, the fastening of the top or squaring brace to the posts in that way will square the frame in addition to bracing it. Then'rivetthe front tie piece" with as little weight as possible and at the same time to be able to rivet the tracksto them instead of soldering them thereto. because soldering is more expensive and not as dependable as riveting. That is to say, the great desideratum is to have a hollow post of extremely light metal, and the triangular shape renders it practicable to rivet the tracks to the posts, and then conceal the rivet heads within the hollow of the posts.

It should be noted that the top side bars which are connected to the front and rear posts are angle iron the same as the tray tracks but that they are reversed having the horizontal member or flanges at the top.

It will also be noted that the trays when all in place practically form a closed casing or shaft open at the top and bottom through the mesh bottoms M, the walls of the trays constituting front rear and side walls, so that the heat will be retained within the drier and pass vertically therethrough, the amount passing through the sides and front and rear being practically negligible. i

It will be obvious that that part of the heat passing out through the sides could be kept within and caused to pass up through the machine by reversing all the angle iron tracks, except the lowest one, the same as the top side bars B, as plainly shown in Figure 6, as the subtending flanges C of the tracks thus reversed'would cover the upper parts of the'trays resting on the tops of the inwardly projecting flanges of the same track just as the. subtending flanges of the top side bars B cover the top parts of the topmost traywithout departing from the spirit of my invention.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim is 1. In a fruit drier, a skeleton frame comprising hollow triangular front and rear corner posts, inverted longitudinal angle irons including horizontal and vertical flanges connecting said corner posts, the

' horizontal flanges extending inwardly and constituting tray racks and-"supportatransverse cross brace members connecting said rear posts,"the members of said brace being' pivotally connectedat their intersection, and

a rigid top squaring cross brace member connected to the said front and rear-posts at their upper ends. i I y i 2." A fruit drier comprisinga skeleton casing including a pair of side frames consisting of hollow front and rear posts, longitudinal angle irons each having an inwardlyv extending horizontal flange, said angle irons connecting said posts and constituting tray guides'and supports,jdi'agonal side braces connected at their ends to said front andv rear posts, a rear cross brace,a top squaring brace frame, said frame' comprising front and rear beams and cross beams connecting the same, the cross beams being rigidly connected at their intersection, and the said front and rear beams being *rigidlycom V nected at theirends to theaforesaidhollow.

posts, a tie bar rigidly. connectingth e front posts at their lower portions, and removable foraminate trays adapted to fit within the drier upon theangle irons, the said guides and trays constituting continuous sidewalls for the drier. I

'3. ,A fruit drier comprising a skeleton frame consisting. of hollow triangular front and rear corner posts, horizontal angle irons connecting said posts and forming tray tracks and supports, inverted angle irons constituting top side bars, front and rear cross bars connected to said posts at their upperends, crossbars rigidly connected at their intersection and rigidly connected at their ends to said front and rear top cross-- bars,arigid lower cross bar rigidly connecting the front corner posts, a reargcross brace the members of which are rigidly connected at'their ends to the rear corner posts and loosely connected at their intersection, and open'work trays removably supported on said tracks. 7 i 1 4. Corner posts for skeleton frame fruit driers, said posts formed "of continuous strips bent to form right-triangular tubes,

one perpendicular side of the tube having.

secured thereto angle irons to form tracks for trays, the other perpendicular side adapted to have rigidly secured thereto top and bottom cross beams, and the diagonal side of the tubes bent over against the first namedperpendicular side thereby enclosing the ends of said diagonal side braces within the tubes and concealing the means for fastening thev braces and the aforementloned tracks the cross beams to the posts. a we 5. Trays for fruit driers comprising ver-' tical front, rear and side walls,horizonta1 inwardly projecting flanges at the lower ends of said walls, a central longitudinal brace bar secured at its ends on the flanges of said front and rear walls, a foraminate bottom means detaehably securing the same upon said central brace bar said bottom having its edges loosely fitting Within the tray and resting .on the hqi'izontal flanges of the 7 front, rear and side walls;

6. Ail-21y for fruit d 'iers comprising vertical front, rear and slde walls and hoi'izontal inwardly prcqectmg flanges at the lower ends of said Walls, a central longitudinal brace bur secured at its ends te said front 10 and rear flanges, an operating knob secured to the front wall in alinement with the central lengitudinal brace bar, whereby the said brace will sustain the strain of the pull and push on the tray when Withdrawing n1- pushing the same into the frame offthe drier.

JAMES BUCHANAN BABY, JR. 

